Behind the Whiskers and the Purrs
by ChristinaFay
Summary: A lighthearted story about a gentle werewolf and an unlikely furry friend throughout the years. Of course, there is always more hidden behind the animagus forms.
1. Chapter 1

_**All characters belong to the brilliant JKR. I own nothing, except for a terrible desire to see my favorite DADA teacher find a friend in a very special feline. Appreciate your reviews.**_

**Chapter One**

Professor McGonagall was truly an inspiration, especially when she turned into a tabby cat right in front of their very eyes on the first day of class.

That was when Hermione initially got the idea that she, too, wanted to become an animagus. After a couple years of pouring behind books in the library and practicing behind closed curtains of her four-poster, Hermione finally grasped the subtle details of the magic. And to her greatest delight, she found her animagus form a welcoming companion for her recently acquired pet, Crookshanks.

Hermione was well aware of the requirements for animagi to register with the Ministry. However, being a third-year Hogwarts student, she was definitely not interested in the unnecessary attention from her peers and her professors. She had decided that her secret would just have to be kept within the castle walls. She was certain that a slight delay in her registration with the Ministry would not create any hard feelings with anyone, as long as nobody knew.

Naturally, she had considered telling her two best friends. Knowing their habits of roaming the castle at night however, she quickly decided that the invisibility cloak was plenty of trouble already. Telling them her secret would certainly intrigue them to follow suit. And who would know what kind of large animals they might transform into! With her alone, a little tabby cat, she was definitely certain that she would not be able to restrain the two of them should they got themselves into a tight spot.

So there she was, our clever Hermione, trotting down the deserted halls after curfew, accompanied only by the loyal Crookshanks, quietly exploring the hidden corridors and enchanted corners of the castle.

A small hole in the wall was especially intriguing to the orange tabby tonight. A faint scent of herb coming through the hole reminded her dearly of her mother's favorite afternoon tea. She curiously measured the hole with her whiskers, and quickly stuck her head into the passage way. She was interrupted suddenly by a low growl from Crookshanks. When she pulled her head out and looked up, she saw Filch glaring at the two cats in front of him, with a lamp in one hand, and an expression of the greatest satisfaction in his face.

"Ah ha! Got ya! You mischievous felines. I've been telling the students too many times that pets are not allowed outside the dormitory. It's time to teach them a lesson…."

Without finishing his words Filch reached down roughly for the cats. The large ginger cat hissed fiercely while the small tabby looked around for cover. The hole in the wall seemed to be her best escape route. Without the slightest hesitation, the tabby cat ran into the hole and vanished behind the walls. Sensing his companion now safely hidden, Crookshanks leaped towards Filch and briefly used his head as a stepping stone, before disappearing into the darkness of the corridor.

Filch swore loudly before raising his lamp, trying to find the smaller cat. Mrs. Norris was now joining his search, meowing and hissing excitedly at the hole in the wall.

The last thing Hermione wanted was to get into a cat fight with Mrs. Norris, and then having her secret revealed by Filch. She would hate to guess how many detentions that would garner her. With no other choices, she began to move further down the little passage way in the wall. Not knowing where it would lead her, she could only hope that when she turned around, she would not see the glaring yellow eyes of Mrs. Norris.

As she ventured further down the small tunnel, the comforting scent of herb became a bit more prominent. Her fear for her pursuer was quickly replaced by the delight to see the light at the end of her journey. When she finally climbed out of the wall, she was greeted by a comforting sight. Professor Lupin, the newly appointed Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, was reading by the fireplace, with a cup of tea in his hand.

From the corner of Lupin's eye he spotted a ball of bright orange fur. Looking up, he was surprised by the intruder in his private quarter. The tabby cat was sitting timidly by a small hole in the wall, eyeing him carefully.

"Hi there," he smiled gently, "where did you come from? Are you lost?"

The cat stared at Lupin without moving a muscle. He chuckled and began to walk towards her. They were both startled when Filch's loud swear echoed in the hall way outside the room. The cat wasted no time and dashed behind a nearby chair. Lupin let out a sigh and shook his head.

"Is that who you are hiding from?" He said sympathetically, "Don't worry about him. I don't mind if you want to stay here for a while."

She watched as he returned to his seat and went back to his reading. Her curiosity grew. She had been very impressed by this new teacher ever since she saw him on the train. He had been kind and easy-going in the past couple weeks in front of his students. But a part of him was still very mysterious and she just couldn't put her paw on it...

She smiled (if you could see it behind the whiskers) when she realized she was thinking like a cat. It was a fantastic feeling when she was in her animagus form. She didn't need to worry about what others would think of her. After all, she was no longer Hermione, but merely a cat with bushy orange hair.

Lupin watched curiously as the tabby walked towards him, with her tail held high. She came to a halt just about a foot away from him. Sitting down with her paws properly in front of her and her tail politely curled around her body (good manners are important in front of your teachers), she looked at him from the corner of her eye, as if evaluating the reliability associated with the human.

Lupin couldn't help but putting down his book and turning his attention to the furry little creature. "Who do you belong to, little one? I don't think any of the professors own a cat. Do you belong to a student? I guess I will probably find out soon."

Hermione found a peculiar calming effect in his voice. She walked closer to him and began to rub against his ankles.

"Are you a friendly one!" He reached down to pet her gently. "Too bad I don't know your name. I'm Remus and I'm new here." He smiled, "well not 'new' new, but new as a teacher."

For some reason Hermione's heart skipped a beat when she heard him introduced himself by his first name. She meowed affectionately as a response. Wait, did she just meow _affectionately_? If a cat was capable of feeling embarrassed, she did.

She was awarded by a little dish of milk that he conjured out of thin air with his wand. She appreciated the delicious treat and relaxed quite a bit as he walked towards his desk.

"I never knew it would be so much fun being a teacher." He began talking to her, as if she was just another friend sitting in the room. "I have some wonderful students. Take this girl," he picked up a piece of parchment and smiled, "I can't believe a third-year student can be so articulate in their writing."

The tabby cat looked up immediately upon hearing the "third-year" in his sentence. Was he commenting on one of her classmates?

"Let's see... yes, Hermione Granger." He looked at the top of the parchment and nodded to himself, "she is certainly the brightest one in her class."

Feeling her furry cheeks heating up, she went right back to her milk. She was delighted to hear his complements. Oh my, here was a new definition for "teacher's pet"!

After the milk, the rug in front of the fireplace became increasingly tempting. Soon Hermione found herself curling up in a ball enjoying the warmth from the fire. She would just stay a little longer, she thought to herself. Filch was probably still down the hall and she would just wait until he's gone...

* * *

><p>Hermione was awaken by a little scratch behind her ears... Wait, scratch behind her ears?<p>

Slowly opening up her eyes she saw her own furry paws. Oh no! Did she forget to leave last night?

Looking up, she saw Professor Lupin smiling at her. He was just getting dressed for the day, with his unbuttoned shirt draping down his shoulders.

"Good morning little one! I thought you would have left in the middle of the night. Good to see you again!" He greeted her cheerfully.

Hermione was blushing furiously behind her whiskers. She never expected to see her professor looking so... handsome!

While he turned around to fetch his jacket, she ran towards the hole in the wall and soon disappeared into the sun-lit corridors.

Later that day in his class, Professor Lupin couldn't quite figure out why one of his students kept burying her face behind a book, as if trying to avoid eye contact with him. By the time he handed out last week's homework, he realized that was indeed the impressive Hermione Granger. And was it his imagination, or was she really blushing when she took the parchment from his hand?

_**What do you think my friends? Should I continue? Review please? =)**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Thank you for your reviews and encouragement…. Here goes some more whiskers and purrs….**_

_**All characters belong to the brilliant JKR. **_

**Chapter Two**

If you asked Hermione, Ron had been acting like a complete prat recently! Really… how could he accuse Crookshanks, a cat, for keeping an eye on Scabbers, a rat! And quidditch, oh the dreadful sport quidditch, the only topic that the boys ever seemed to enjoy discussing….

Hermione was frustrated… she was annoyed… oh yes she was brooding. Nothing about her friends' immaturity seemed to help the mounting stress from the extra class load that she took on this year. After half an hour of staring at the same page of her book, and listening to the same discussions about Nimbus 2000, Cleansweep Five, and the Firebolt, she finally decided it was time to say good-night.

The problem was that she was not particularly tired, at least not physically. She looked for Crookshanks briefly in her room but couldn't find him. Ugh! It was all Ron's fault! He scared him away! And her roommates were not even back yet. It would be a complete waste of time if she went to sleep at such an early hour. Smiling mischievously, she transformed into the orange tabby in a blink of an eye.

She wasn't in the mood for exploring tonight, at least not without the escort of her friend with the bottlebrush tail. She had only one destination in mind. What was he doing? Would he be grading papers tonight? How did she do in the latest exam?

Remus Lupin smiled when a ball of orange fur emerged from the hole in his wall. He waved at her as soon as she entered his room. She did not hesitate and walked straight to him, sniffing his fingers when he reached for her. He picked her up gently into his lap and petted her thick coat of silky orange fur, before relaxing back into his chair and back to his reading.

Hermione was slightly disappointed to see that he did not seem to plan on grading any papers that night. However his gentle touches were surprisingly soothing. Without thinking twice, she curled into a ball and began purring loudly in his lap. She was further encouraged by his light touches under her chin and behind her ears. Enjoying the warmth radiating from his body, she closed her eyes and feeling the stress slowly leaving her body and mind.

That was the beginning of the frequent visits that the little orange tabby paid to the easy-going professor. For Hermione, the two or three nights a week visiting her quiet professor seemed to be her only way to relax after turning her time turner multiple times during the day.

* * *

><p>Remus Lupin was not unfamiliar with cats. His parents had cats living in the farm house where he grew up. They were good hunters keeping mice away. He himself however, had never had a cat as a pet of his own. He was told, and believed, that cats were mysterious, self-centered, and strange creatures. They would come to you when they felt like it, and you would never have controls over them. They pick their own human, and you would be dreaming if you thought you could be their master.<p>

The orange little tabby was just one of those typical cats, at least that was what Remus thought at the very beginning. If she was in the mood, she would show up unannounced, enjoy her milk, purr affectionately in his lap, before leaving in the middle of the night (except for their very first encounter of course). But if she was not interested in showing up, he had no way of finding her little furry head in the castle. But just what made her desire his company? Where did she come from? And where did she go? He simply did not know.

But yes, he did try to find her. And he began to miss her when she wasn't around.

He had never thought that being in a furry little creature's company could be so pleasant. The funny way that she carried herself when she trotted around him, and her simply sitting on his desk, looking at him with her half-opened almond-shaped eyes, made him feel calm and happy. When he watched her, he would forget about the dementors outside the castle, the headlines about Sirius Black on the run, the memories of the loss of his best friends, and the rising of the moon. He almost felt like he could reach a Zen Buddhist monk's enlightenment if he could just look at her for long enough.

This was just one of those nights. He sat by his desk grading the essays from his third-year class while his little furry friend sat by the ink bottle, eyes following his quill closely. He would never have guessed, but she was actually reading his comments on those papers with great interest. What he didn't miss however, was the twitches of her whiskers when he gave Hermione Granger a full mark.

"You are a funny little cat. You know that?" He looked up at her as she watched his pen intently. "You look like a barn owl."

What? What was he talking about! She laughed through a snort, which sounded more like a throaty purr. A barn owl? A tiger maybe, or more accurately, a lion. But an owl? She looked at him through a side-way glance, which turned his smile into a big wide grin.

Just at that moment, a soft knock came from the door. The orange tabby immediately spun around cautiously.

"It's open. Come in."

The door slowly opened, and in came Professor Snape, holding a goblet in his hand.

"Here is your potion Lupin." He said quietly while walking straight in, leaving the door ajar.

The fur on the orange tabby's tail began to puff up. When her eyes met Snape's two black ones, she let out a squeak and dashed towards the door.

With no time to survey her escape route, the cat ran right into Snape. She was immediately trapped by his long black cloak, and got tangled briefly between his legs.

Snape, still walking at the moment, almost toppled over the cat. The goblet flew out of his hand. It would have been a disaster had Lupin not had his wand by his side. He quickly mumbled a charm and the goblet and its content was caught in mid-air.

"Merlin! What was that? The bloody cat was going to murder me!" Snape growled.

"Relax Severus." Lupin chuckled as the cat finally found her way out through the door. "You scared her..."

"What? You are blaming me?..."

Hermione couldn't quite hear what Snape was yelling behind her. She ran down the candle-lit hall and straight to the Gryffindor Tower. The Fat Lady in the portrait was amused by the sight of another cat with a very puffy tail, almost as puffy as the half-Kneazle...

**_Sorry it's a bit short... but I thought it might be too long if I include the entire encounter of the werewolf and the tabby, don't you think? What do you think would happen next? Review please?_**


	3. Chapter 3

**_All characters belong to the brilliant JKR, except for the cat, whose actions are completely my responsibility…._**

**Chapter Three**

For the first time in her life Hermione was hoping the books were wrong. They just had to be wrong! But the facts seemed to give little room for argument.

The more time she spent working on the essay assigned by Snape, the substitute teacher for Defense Against the Dark Arts, the less doubt she had that she had indeed been spending many of the evenings in the company of a werewolf.

It bothered her terribly, but not because she was afraid or scared. In fact, it was probably the last thing that occurred to her, that being around a werewolf could be gravely dangerous. Instead, she was bothered because the more she read about the symptoms of lycanthropy, and people's opinions towards them, the more concerned she became for the gentle and charming Professor Lupin (well, the latter was just the cat speaking, if you asked Hermione). Did he have any friends? How did he cope with the terrible monthly ordeal? Did he have anyone helping him when he was in the unbearable pain?

Her prediction seemed to be confirmed when he didn't show up in class the day after the following full moon. Did she really discover his secret? There was only one way to find out.

When the orange tabby slowly emerged from the hole in the wall that evening, she did not smell the familiar aroma of his tea. He was sitting by the fireplace again, but not with a book. Instead, he had already changed into a bath robe. He was crouching over with his elbows rested on his knees, and his head buried in his large hands. He looked miserable.

For the first time, he did not notice the cat when she walked towards him. So she sat in front of him, and observed him quietly for what seemed to be a very long time. He finally looked up and his gaze met her honey brown eyes.

He gave her a tired smile before speaking in the same gentle way he always did, "hi there, haven't seen you for quite a few days. I've begun to wonder if you will still come here anymore. As happy as I am to see you, it is not a good night to be around me."

He let out a sigh. Hermione held her breath.

"I know he won't hurt you. No... The monster won't touch a cat. But I really don't want to scare you. I would be so sorry if I scared you away."

The cat gave him a suspicious look. Her ears flattened timidly when he reached over for her.

He frowned slightly when she cautiously backed away from him, but quickly nodded, "right... run along, run along. You may still come back if you don't see how ugly I can be."

But the cat did not leave. She retrieved back behind the desk, and watched.

Lupin's attempts to coax the cat out from her hideout failed miserably. The cat simply did not budge. Her stubbornness was painfully impressive. Finally he gave up and went into his bedroom.

Then she heard it, the agonizing moaning and the terrifying growling. A few minutes later, the werewolf emerged from his bedroom.

The beast walked slowly towards her. He stopped on the opposite side of the desk, and looked at her with his golden eyes. She could hear her own heartbeats drumming in her ears, and could feel her hair standing up all over her body (an unpleasant reflex for being a cat). The giant orange fur ball lowered herself to the floor and slowly backed against the wall. She was beyond frightened. What was she thinking! Why did she have to stay to see this!

But then, she saw it, the sadness and concern in those golden eyes. The beast turned and walked towards the opposite side of the room. Slowly he settled down onto the floor and curled up into a ball. After giving her another apologetic look, he let out a whimpering sigh, and closed his eyes.

She immediately realized, that he was sorry to see her scared.

Hermione didn't know how long she was hiding behind the desk. She eventually fell asleep with her nose hidden under her tail. The thick coat of fur certainly came in handy when you were a tabby cat trying to hide from a wolf.

When she finally woke up, the wolf had disappeared from the room. Where did he go? Blame it on the cat, but curiosity took over. She slowly ventured into his bedroom.

He had already regained his human form and was lying in bed. Quietly, the tabby jumped onto the nightstand to get a closer look at him. To her, he had been a friend, and someone what she had learned to trust. She needed to see that he was okay. She needed him to know that she was still there.

He could sense that he was being watched. Then he heard the soft purring. Slowly he opened his eyes and saw the curious brown eyes looking back at him. He smiled.

"You are still here! I didn't scare you?" He said hoarsely.

Her heart broke a little when seeing him wince in pain as he moved to get closer to see her.

She happily leaned over to let him pet her, and heard him said quietly, "thank you for not judging me for what I am."

"That was not what you are," she purred. Then she reached over and rubbed her furry little head against his hands, his chin, and his forehead. Strange behavior, she thought to herself. But that seemed to be the only way she knew how to communicate her feelings in her cat form.

His let out a chuckle as she stepped into his bed and her little paws stumbled onto his shoulders. "Funny cat... I can't believe I'm letting you walk all over me."

She twitched her whiskers to hide a mischievous smile. As she lowered herself down on his chest, he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. He closed his eyes and slept peacefully for the rest of the night. His warmth surrounded her. She was as relaxed as she could ever remember. Before she drifted to sleep she said to herself, "a cat and a wolf... who would have guessed..."

And that was the night when he stole her heart, without even knowing it.

* * *

><p>Ever since that night, he could always count on her to show up when it was full moon. She reminded him of his Marauders friends. Her presence calmed his soul.<p>

She was also beyond a loyal companion. As he began to talk to her more during her frequent visits, he realized she seemed to understand him beyond the possible abilities of a cat. More than once, he thought her eyes could talk. And her purrs and meows were always perfectly timed, as if carrying on a conversation with him. She became a friend he could trust, a friend he confided in. With her, he could simply be himself.

And she listened and watched, enjoying every moment of his company. School was absolutely perfect when you get to spend such quality time with your charming professor.

Yet it all came to an end on that one dreadful night. That night, Remus noticed that the cat didn't show up. Instead, he saw Peter Pettigrew's name appear on the Marauders' Map.

By morning, it was clear to him that he had no choice but to leave.

"It's been a pleasure having your here Remus." Albus Dumbledore smiled at him behind his half-moon spectacles, putting aside Lupin's resignation letter without even opening it. "But I have to agree with your decision. I will arrange for your transportation."

"Thank you Professor. It's been an honor working here." Remus murmured and turned to leave the Headmaster's office.

Right before his hand reached the door handle however, Remus stopped. He turned around and asked in a hesitating voice that he almost didn't recognize, "Professor... do you know of anyone here owns an orange tabby? I had been visited by a small orange cat you see.. and... I wonder to whom she belongs to...I know it's silly but..." Remus stopped abruptly as he realized he was beginning to babble. Oh no, the cat had bewitched him! Since when did he babble? Remus Lupin never babbled!

"Ah, the cat..." the Headmaster closed his eyes for a brief moment before smiling back at Remus, "I don't believe that cat belongs to anyone." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he went on, "You know... how cats are..."

"That's right." Remus smiled and nodded politely.

But just before he could close the Headmaster's door behind him, he heard Dumbledore's cheerful voice again, "If it's meant to be, you may see her again. Only time will tell, Remus, time will tell."

As he walked down the marble staircase of the castle, he knew he saw a ball of bright orange fur following him down the steps. But as he turned around to look for her, she had already disappeared into the bushes.

Oh yes, he would miss her dearly.

**_Well this chapter didn't turn out to be as lighthearted as I was hoping for. But next chapter (probably the final one) should be a lot better. By the way, do you think Tonks like cats? I have a feeling she may have some problems with a certain orange tabby... Review please?  
><em>**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Thank you all for reading! I appreciate your reviews and comments. I wish the story would keep on going just like some of you suggested. However I've also learned that sometimes less is more... So here we go, a compromise ... There will be one last chapter after this one. Hopefully you won't be terribly disappointed. Enjoy!**_

_**A sincere apology to Tonks… Maybe I'd make it up to her in a different story.**_

_**All characters belong to the brilliant JKR.**_

**Chapter Four**

Crookshanks knew something had been bothering his human friend.

Ever since they came to the Burrow at the beginning of the summer, Hermione often woke up in the middle of the night, not being able to go back to sleep. She would simply sit in her bed, in the room that she shared with Ginny, and stare into the darkness for hours. Crookshanks did all he could to comfort her. He meowed softly around her, nudged against her while purring loudly, or sat next to her and let her run her fingers absentmindedly through his fur.

"You be careful when I'm gone Crookshanks." Hermione whispered to her furry friend in this quiet evening.

She let out a heavy sigh and continued, "I'm not sure if I'll be back safely. Finding and destroying all of the horcruxes... ha, it's not going to be a piece of cake, is it…." After a long pause, she continued, "It's the right thing to do though. I guess I won't have any regrets if I don't make it back... The spell I put on mum and dad should be powerful enough to keep them happy for the rest of their lives."

Crookshanks felt a couple drops of water fell on his head. He quickly looked up to see if the roof of the magically enhanced house had finally begun to leak. When he found the source of the droplets, he let out a soft meow.

Hermione hurried and wiped her eyes. She had tried so hard to convince herself that she was well prepared for the journey, and that there was nothing that she would miss when she had to take off with Harry and Ron with moments of notice. But was she being honest with herself?

No... If she was honest with herself, she would admit that she would be terribly sorry if she couldn't make it back alive. She might never have a way to find out if she could have a chance with him... Remus Lupin, the man who stole her heart many many moons ago.

Ever since she saw him again at Sirius' place a couple years ago, she had been fantasizing that maybe someday, he would see beyond her being one of his former students. She wished he could see how mature she had become through their endless intellectual discussions. Couldn't he tell that she was head over heels for him? Did he feel the same way about her?

Yes, if she did not return alive, that would be her biggest regret. She just wanted to know… would he love her the way she had loved him all this time?

Hermione's train of thought was interrupted by a sudden knock at the front door downstairs. Who would be visiting at this late hour?

She quietly crawled out of bed, with Crookshanks followed closely behind. When they got out to the second floor landing, they heard Mrs. Weasley's hushed voice,

"Remus! Is everything alright?"

Hermione's chest tightened... Out of all the people in the world, the only person she wished to see right now was downstairs! But why was he here so late?

He was speaking in such a low voice that she couldn't make out what he was saying, except for the words "message... Kingsley... for the Order..."

The next thing she heard was Mrs. Wesley speaking in her mothering tone, "you should share the plan with the Order in the morning! Why don't you stay the night? The rest of the Order will probably be here early in the morning, and that's only a few hours away!"

Hermione could feel her heart beating fast in her chest when she heard him answer, "sure... if you don't mind me borrowing your sofa."

It seemed as if a decade had passed before Mrs. Weasley was finally done fussing around her late night guest, even though Hermione was quite sure that Remus had said all he needed was a book and the sofa. When the quietness finally returned downstairs, Hermione turned to look at Crookshanks.

"What do you think?" she winked at her friend, who was shaking his very bushy bottlebrush tail excitedly at her.

It had been a very long time since Hermione last took her animagus form. After her favorite Professor left Hogwarts, she simply lost her interest in transfiguring into a cat. When she saw Lupin again later with the Order, she was very tempted to visit him as a tabby. However she was not of age yet at the time, and she couldn't risk being detected using magic outside of Hogwarts. Things were much different now. She had long lost her respect for the Ministry, so the idea of filing a registration with them had long gone. Best yet, she was now of age, which surely meant freedom to use magic at all times!

Hermione gave her furry friend a bright smile, and transformed into an orange tabby in a swirl of breeze.

* * *

><p>It wouldn't be much trouble for Remus Lupin to go back to his place before returning again in the morning, but something in the Weasley's household this summer had been irresistible. He often caught himself looking for excuses to stay. He had scolded himself for doing so for too many times... oh... He wished he knew what to do...<p>

From the corner of his eye Remus spotted a ball of bright ginger fur emerged from the bottom of the stairs. "Hi, Crookshanks." He casually greeted the feline that roamed the place so frequently. But he immediately had to do a double take, as a second orange ball appeared behind the large ginger cat. He put his book down, and looked intently at the orange tabby, couldn't believe his own eyes.

"Merlin's beard! Is that really you little one? Look how grown up you are! What a beautiful cat you are turning into!"

The orange tabby exchanged a meaningful look with the Crookshanks, and happily ran to her old friend. Crookshanks shook his tail slightly and gave a cheerful meow, before jumping onto the counter, and disappearing into the darkness through a half-opened kitchen window.

"So you are a friend of Crookshanks'! I wish I knew sooner!" Remus leaned over and scratched behind the tabby's ears affectionately, before gently picking her up into his lap.

"I'm so glad to see you my friend." Remus looked at the tabby's large honey brown eyes and smiled. She purred enthusiastically in return.

"Well… I need to tell you something…. I should have talked to someone for a long time about this! But you are probably the only soul that I can share this with..." Remus' voice suddenly sounded more serious. Hermione raised her eyebrows, causing her whiskers to shiver slightly.

"So you will keep a secret?" Remus looked at the tabby with a teasingly smile in his face. "Well… I think I'm in trouble…" Remus went on.

Hermione listened hard. Whatever trouble he was in, she was determined to help him.

"I think I'm in love." Remus said.

That was not what she had expected.

It felt like a bucket of cold water just poured all over her (you would REALLY understand how it felt if you were a cat). She should have known. She couldn't expect him to always be available, waiting for her to grow up…. Hermione frowned, only to have her expression disguised perfectly by the M shape pattern on the mackerel tabby's forehead. But why would he think he was in trouble? The tabby looked back at Remus inquiringly.

"She is perfect. Beautiful, smart, witty, young… She would never set eyes on me though, little one. I know I shouldn't… but I just can't…." Remus took a very deep breath, "I don't think I can live without her!"

Wow, that was some declaration! Hermione was suddenly overwhelmed by a mixture of strong emotions. Jealousy for one, because she was most certain that he wasn't talking about her. And then there was joy, because she was the only one he would share his secret with. But mostly, it was sadness, because she finally got what she wished to find out… to know how he felt about her… well, apparently nothing. He's in love, with a beautiful, smart, witty, young, and PERFECT witch!

Neither of them spoke (or meowed) for the rest of the night. She rested her sad face on his knees, trying to memorize what it would feel like being so close to him.

He would be someone else' soon, she thought to herself. He had already chosen, and the woman he loved was not her! She closed her eyes but did not fall asleep. His words suddenly became too painful to remember.

He was completely not aware of her disappointment. He simply stroked her silky fur absentmindedly, read his book, and finally fell asleep on the sofa. Watching his peaceful face, Hermione wanted to cry.

* * *

><p>They were both startled by a loud slam of the door. Hermione jumped when she felt Remus move under her. Her claws must have dug through his slacks as she jumped, and that caused him to let out a funny yelp. Looking cautiously over Remus' shoulders, Hermione saw the familiar bubble gum pink hair.<p>

"Remus!" Tonks walked into the sitting room, looking slightly disturbed.

"Hello Tonks!" Remus replied cheerfully, slowly rose from the sofa.

But Tonks didn't seem to share the same mood. She came to a stop only when she was a foot away from Remus. Her hair slowly turned into a shade of dark red. She did not seem happy.

Hermione leaped from the sofa onto a nearby end table, so that she could see the early visitor better. She always liked Tonks, but she did not appreciate the way Tonks was closing in on Remus this particular morning.

"Why is the cat glaring at me?" Tonks asked irritably.

"Cats don't glare Tonks. She's just curious." Remus smiled warmly. But the friendly gesture didn't seem to work on Tonks.

"Whatever… why didn't you come to my place last night?" Tonks asked impatiently. "Don't tell me that's because you had a date with this cat!"

Hermione almost fell off of the end table. If that could only be true!

"Don't be silly… of course not. Well it was late… after I delivered the message…"

"You and your excuses!" Tonks raised her voice slightly. "Tell me why you wouldn't give us a chance Remus. I'm tired of your excuses."

Remus' smile slowly faded, but he continued to look at Tonks innocently. Right before he could open his mouth, Tonks spoke again,

"And don't you dare telling me that you are too old, too poor, or too dangerous."

"Those are all good reasons." Remus replied.

"But they are excuses! None of those is the real reason, is it?" Tonks sighed, looking at Remus searchingly, "it's all because of her, isn't it? You fancy her, don't you? You fancy Granger!"

Hermione felt her entire body froze to the tip of her whiskers. Was she imagining this? Or had Tonks lost her marbles? She turned her attention to Remus. What would he say to such an accusation?

He simply said nothing. And that was the answer the two girls were waiting for. Tonks was right!

Tonks let out a frustrated cry and stormed out of the room. Hermione could see from the window that Tonks' now bright red hair bounced across the yard before disappearing on the other side of the fence.

For a moment, both Remus and the cat looked at each other, wordless.

"Well, I guess that would make Tonks the second one that knows my secret, wouldn't it?" He smiled to the tabby cat, but quickly twisted his bows again, "I just don't think Hermione would ever think of me that way though... I'm foolish to expect that from her..."

For a brief second Hermione considered transforming back to her own body and running into Remus' arms. But would that be the right thing to do? Wouldn't it be cruel to lead him on and then run away for the secret mission?

A million questions daunted on Hermione's mind. What would he do if she told him now? What would happen if she waited? Would he be disappointed if he didn't find out now? Would he be worried if he did? Would he wait for her?

The turmoil inside of her must have shown in the tabby's large brown eyes. Remus did not miss the subtle change in his furry friend. Why was the cat suddenly looking so different? Was it his imagination that tears were forming in her eyes? Why was she shivering?

"Wait a minute..." Remus narrowed his eyes and leaned towards the cat, "what's the matter little one?" He paused for a moment and finally asked, "Who are you?"

Remus' words suddenly brought Hermione back to the presence. What was she going to do now? She looked back at Remus, backed away slowly, not knowing what she should do. Just at this moment, Mrs. Weasley's voice saved her from a rushed decision.

"Did I hear Tonks? Charlie just wrote me yesterday saying he was hoping she could to be his date at the wedding..."

Remus seemed to be surprised by the sudden appearance of Mrs. Weasley and briefly turned his attention away from the cat. Hermione took the opportunity and ran straight through the half-open kitchen window. Remus followed, but not fast enough. By the time he finally got out of the house to survey the yard, he only saw a glimpse of a ball of bright orange fur disappearing through a second floor window.

"Whose room might that be?" He wondered to himself.

* * *

><p><em><strong>I got a fantastic question from BellaDonna24, "why is there an M shaped mark on her fur? Animegus usually retain a defining mark from their human selves, so what is the M referencing?"<br>**_

_**She is definitely right about animagus having certain marks of their human forms. In this case, I would think the bushy hair style and the honey brown eyes belong to our Hermione. The M shaped mark is not from her human form, but a signature mark of a tabby cat. There are many breeds of cats and they are all amazingly adorable. It was hard for me to choose. I decided on a tabby because to me they are typically playful and intelligent, and also has a little wild side, which I thought would do well with the wolf. =)  
><strong>_


	5. Chapter 5

_**All characters belong to the brilliant JKR.**_

_**Sorry it took me so long... Somehow I found it very difficult (emotionally) to put an end to this story... But oh well... here we go...  
><strong>_

**Chapter Five**

Remus Lupin couldn't believe that he would spend so much time in front of the mirror. For the first time in his life, he was actually considering the mirror's advice.

"The color of the shirt doesn't quite go with the jacket, my dear. Try a lighter one." The mirror sounded quite like his mother today.

"Oh come on Lupin! You are acting like a pathetic teenager trying too hard to impress! Make a decision and get out of the house!" He hissed at his own reflection and tried to ignore the mirror's response.

"You need to look good for today, don't you? That's what you said and it's my job to make that happen!" the mirror protested.

Shaking his head in defeat, he went back to his bedroom to try on a different shirt.

He had been to the Burrow for countless times during the war, and never once had he been so nervous. But today would be different. This was the first get together hosted by the Weasleys since the end of the war. The party was only for the Weasleys' ever expanding family and a small and selected group of friends. And that small and selected group of friends, Remus smiled to himself, happened to include himself and the one and only Hermione Granger.

As he tried on a different shirt, Remus thought of the rushed exchange he shared with Hermione a little before Bill and Fleur's wedding, which turned out the be the last time he got to talk to her until now.

He clearly remembered it was just a couple days after Tonks confronted him in the Weasley's sitting room. His silent response to Tonk's question no doubt confirmed her suspicions. He knew Hermione and Tonks were friends. But how close were they? Somehow he doubted Tonks would share with Hermione what she found out about his secret desires. Or would she? He wasn't sure. Girls always seemed too complicated for him to understand.

Whatever happened between Tonks and Hermione in those two days he might never know. What he did remember, however, was the way Hermione looked at him in the kitchen that afternoon, when they had a brief few minutes alone.

She was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a simple black t-shirt. Her hair was neatly pulled up into a pony tail, probably her effort to make it easier doing all the chores that Molly had assigned her and Ginny. He thought she looked even more feminine and beautiful in that simple outfit than the other days when she wore her sundresses. It might have been because of the air of confidence she carried, or it might be because he had been thinking of her day and night for such a long time. He remembered how he tried and how his courage faltered. He just couldn't bring himself to confess to her his feelings.

It was when he looked up at her that he saw it, the emotions in her eyes, complex and unreadable emotions. He managed to smiled at her when their eyes met. She smiled back, but her eyes twinkled, as if tears were threatening to fall. He remembered asking her if she was alright. She nodded quickly and looked away for a moment. Just as he was beginning to worry that Tonks had indeed told her about his secret desires, and that she might be bothered by what she was told, Hermione turned and walked to his side.

He remembered how he suddenly found it hard to breath when she got so close to him. He could feel the warmth radiating form her. As if to make the silence a little more tolerable, she reached over and fixed his collar. Finally it was her that broke the silence, "Be careful, please... For me."

Just at that moment however, Ginny and Molly entered the kitchen, carrying a large box of ribbons and sashes to be used for decorating the wedding favors. He remembered how lovely the shade of pink Hermione's face turned when she realized they were no longer alone, and how quickly she disappeared behind the kitchen table and buried her face under a large pile of golden roses.

Remus remembered clearly how painful those very long months were immediately after the Death Eaters interrupted Bill and Fleur's wedding reception. The darkness brought on by the war was miserable for everyone. However for Remus, it was the unknown that tortured him the most. No knowing where Hermione was and whether she was safe made his days almost unbearable. His dreams were his only savior. Almost every night he would see her in his dreams. She would smile at him, wave at him, or simply let him look into her honey brown eyes.

Those beautiful eyes... He always felt that he had seen them somewhere else. But where? He could never remember.

During some of those long lonely nights when he couldn't sleep and couldn't dream of Hermione, his thoughts would drift to his other friend, the orange tabby. He was never able to find her again after she ran out through the kitchen window. He was certain that the cat was a half-Kneazle just like Crookshanks. That was the only reason Remus could think of to explain her strange abilities and behaviors. He wished he could see her again. He wished he could find peace in himself again with her help.

"Much better my boy! Very handsome!" The mirror cheerfully interrupted Remus' thoughts.

With the approval from his mirror, Remus left his cottage and set out towards the Burrow. He had to admit that he was taking his time to get there. It had been, after all, quite a long time since that lovely summer afternoon. How had she been all this time? What would she think of him now? Was she seeing anyone?

* * *

><p>The harvest party at the Weasleys was wonderfully entertaining as expected. Remus had grown so close to the Weasleys in the past few years, he practically considered them his extended family.<p>

It was a delight to catch up with Arthur and the boys. However, all those exciting muggle gadgets that Arthur had bewitched and the hilarious new inventions by the twins' joke shop could not stop Remus from looking around, searching for the familiar brown-hair girl.

Then he finally saw her. She was wearing in a long-sleeve lavender dress. Her hair flowing softly down her shoulders. She was chatting happily with Bill and Charlie when he spotted her. Then she turned and sent him a warm smile. Too quickly however, she went back to her conversation with the two older Weasley boys.

Remus became more and more frustrated as the day went on. He noticed she was constantly occupied by her friends. It might have been his own imagination but it seemed like all of them were extremely needy for Hermione's attention on that particular day. Soon he began to doubt his idea of officially asking her out on a date.

"Just look at her," he silently sighed to himself, "she is as perfect as she has always been. You are not good for her old man. Not good for her..."

When the evening finally came, everyone began to gather in the brightly lit yard for desserts. Remus took the opportunity and returned to the house. He found himself a muggle magazine from Arthur's book collections. He could no longer bear the presence of her without staring at her constantly. He settled down in an armchair in the sitting room, trying to distract himself with some bazaar news about things called "hybrid cars" in the magazine.

Quietly, he got the feeling that he was being watched.

When he looked up from the magazine, he found Crookshanks's squashed face in front of him. Crookshanks was sitting on the coffee table opposite Remus, his large yellow eyes narrowed upon him, watching him with intense scrutiny. It was not quite the friendly gesture that Remus received from his tabby cat friend.

Remus tried to ignore the large ginger cat and went back to his reading. But the cat did not move. A moment later Remus looked up from his magazine, and his eyes were met by the same stern gaze.

"Hm... are you hungry?" Remus asked tentatively and conjured out a dish of milk for the large cat. The cat glanced at the milk briefly, but quickly returned his attention back at Remus.

"What is the matter with you?" Remus frowned. He looked at the cat a little closer, thinking he would probably scare him away.

To his surprise, the cat stared back, and the two started an apparent staring contest.

"I see you enjoy my cat's company?"

Remus jumped upon hearing Hermione's cheerful voice. He was so preoccupied by the cat that he did not even notice her entering the room!

"Molly said he just came back to the Burrow today. Perfect timing for me to pick him up!" Hermione walked next to the coffee table and began petting Crookshanks affectionately.

"If I didn't know better," Remus gave a slightly uneasy smile, "I would have thought your cat wanted to interrogate me."

Crookshanks gave a long and whiny meow upon hearing his complaint, making both of them laugh.

"He is just being overly protective I think." Hermione picked up the big cat, "don't mind him."

Remus suddenly couldn't find the words to continue the conversation. There was so much he wanted to tell her. But where should he start? Would he scare her away if he said the wrong thing?

"Remus? What is it?" Hermione noticed his uneasiness.

"Oh... nothing... I... uh... I was just thinking about a little tabby cat that I know." Remus answered.

"What about it?"

"Well... she was a good companion." Remus confessed. "And I... Crookshanks kind of reminded me of her."

"Oh" was all Hermione got a chance to say before the cheerful crowd returned into the house.

"It's getting a bit chilly already!" Molly exclaimed, "Who wants something warm to drink? Coffee? Tea? Hot chocolate?"

For the first time, the Burrow's limited space became so painfully apparent for Remus and Hermione.

* * *

><p>When she finally got back to her flat with Crookshanks, Hermione felt restless. She was hoping she would spend some time alone with Remus, finally, after all this time. But all he wanted to do apparently, was to spend time with her cat! And all he said was he missed the tabby cat? What was that all about?<p>

Hermione was getting a bit annoyed. Had he changed his mind about her already? Could it be that all he wanted now was to share his desires for another woman with the cat?

She spent a long time pacing in her living room. The thoughts in her head were going to kill her. She needed to know! She needed to know now! What was he thinking? Did he still feel the same way about her as he did before?

With a soft pop, she disapparated, only to reappear outside of Remus' cottage.

Remus was lying in bed half asleep when he heard the soft purrs. He was beyond happy to see a ball of orange fur ran through his bedroom door and jumped into his bed.

"Where did you come from?" He asked surprisingly. "How did you know I was thinking about you? I would have said you were a witch if I didn't know b...?"

He stopped in mid-sentence as he watched the cat trotted over to his side, walked around in a circle for a couple times, and curled into a ball right next to him. He frowned slightly to himself, but decided to hold his tongue.

"Good night." He murmured, and ran his fingers through her thick silky fur once more.

* * *

><p>Hermione felt herself floating into a room surrounded by the warmth of the crackling fire and the familiar aroma of the tea that she had grown so fond of. She looked around and saw Remus reading in his armchair by the fireplace, just like she always found him when he was at Hogwarts. She realized she was a lot shorter in the room. When she looked down at herself, she saw only fluffy paws and furry legs. Ah, she forgot, she was a cat tonight.<p>

She jumped onto the arm of the chair to see Remus, but he didn't seem to notice her. She purred and meowed but he ignored her. Maybe he knew what she was and was mad at her? She began to wonder.

Could that be it? She thought. Maybe he had figured it all out long ago and was upset that she would kept the secret from him for so long. That's it! She had not been honest nor fair with him. He told the cat everything but now that she thought of it, Hermione realized she had never spent much time with Remus as a person! It had been her fault. It was time to reveal her secrets to the one person that mattered the most to her in this world.

So she lost her tail and her fur and her whiskers, stood in front of him as her own self. He would for sure want to talk to her now?

But he continued to ignore her. She began to call desperately, "Remus, I'm so sorry I didn't tell you sooner... Say something. Please!"

All of a sudden she fell, as if a hole just opened up in the floor. She startled and woke up from that very strange dream instantly. Where was she? She was not lying in her bed in her own flat!

A moment had past and she regained her memory of what just had happened: the late night visit, the tabby, Remus. She rubbed her eyes to see the surroundings better. Wait, her hand! She had her own hand rubbing her eyes! What happened to the cat?

Then she felt it, one of Remus' strong arms was wrapping around her waist, his solid chest behind her back, and his breaths gently brushing against her neck. He was holding her, in his sleep!

The drowsiness completely escaped from her. Her mind was swirling. She obviously turned back to herself in her sleep. But did he notice? Did he see what happened? If not, would it be too late to change back?

She stirred slightly, trying to concentrate on transforming back to the cat. It was then his arm tightened around her, and what she heard put all the doubt and fear and uncertainty out of her mind.

"No, don't go." He whispered in his slightly hoarse voice, "Hermione, my love, I won't let you run away from me again."

So she listened, and stayed in his embrace, slowly drifted back to the land of dreams. Only this time, it was together with him.

* * *

><p>The following summer, Crookshanks had the great pleasure and honor of exercising the duty of a ring bearer. If you had a chance to talk to him lately, he would likely want to share with you his opinion about the good choice his human friend had made in selecting a mate. He had happily given his approval to that werewolf. Crookshanks always knew best. He was a half-Kneazle after all!<p>

**The End.**

* * *

><p><strong><em>Thank you all for following the story. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. The idea of the story came to me from watching my husband and his loyal Siamese cat. If I ever have the courage to show him my stories, this will definitely be the first one that I will bring to him. After all, every time when I wrote about Lupin, he was the one that came to my mind. <em>**


End file.
